


A Secret Flame

by PurplePetal



Series: Janam Janam Janam Saath Chalna Yunhi [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Bodyguard AU, Empress!Kara, F/M, RoyalProtector!MonEl, Secret love, hidden flame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 17:28:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11407131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurplePetal/pseuds/PurplePetal
Summary: Bodyguard!AU. Part 2 of Karamel Fanfiction ChallengeHow does a forbidden love find its way?





	A Secret Flame

**Author's Note:**

> I know that the Bodyguard AU was part of week one challenge, but I couldnt help myself and wrote this anyway. Sorry... Also, I plan to write a Disney AU for week two!
> 
> Brownie points for anyone who catches the other universe that I borrowed elements of my story from!

* * *

 

“All rise for Empress Kara Zor-El, First of Her Name, Ruler and Protector of Karnaca.”

All the seated individuals in the grand hall arose from their seats. The ladies curtsied, with the head slightly downcast and one hand pinching and raising up their dresses, while the men bowed with an arm crossed over their midsection. Kara was patiently standing behind the enormous, gold plated double doors waiting for her name and title to be called before she made her formal appearance to the court in her throne room, and then led the guests to the gala that was to be held in her honor.

Although she had held court many times in her life, she felt her body halt, and her muscles go rigid as trepidation and fear coursed through her veins. And when the double plated doors opened for her, she felt her skin prickle as goosebumps trailed across her exposed arms, and the little hairs on her neck stand up. Her stomach dropped as she noticed all the bowing guests, they usually revered and praised her and now she dreaded that they would hate and scorn her.

The procession music slowly seeped into the throne home, signaling her to walk down the purple threaded carpet to her elevated seat. She wished that her feet would move, she willed and tried to command them to take a step forward, but the anxiety crippled her and petrified her limbs. The attendants of the court began to whisper when the Empress didn’t enter the room on her cue, and Kara knew she would have to find the courage to face the audience, and her eyes began to seek for the one person she could draw such valor from.

The court was filled with many bodies, but the one she sought for evaded her gaze. Confusion reigned through Kara, he would have to present, it was his duty. She saw many soldiers of her own army and guard in the room, with silver breast-plates and helmets standing next to the purple threaded carpet to protect her pathway to the throne should any disturbance arise. But where was their commander? 

A shadowy figure stepped out from behind the metallic throne, and Kara could feel like she could breathe. Tension rolled off her body, and with each breathe she let the fear that coursed through her veins out. She straightened her shoulders, wiped away the nonexistent wrinkles off her dress and walked across the royal purple carpet with her head held high. She was taught to never look at her subjects when she walked to her throne, it showed weakness and humility when she needed to radiate power and strength.

However, instead of looking directly at her throne, as her lessons told her, she looked at him. She drank in his sight, his breast plate was emblazed with the House of El symbol, his midnight blue cape was brushed to one side, and the other side held his sheathed sword. He was the only guard who wasn’t wearing his helmet, rather it was rested on by his waist and his hand was cradling it. His stoic face gave no inkling to what was brewing in his mind, or what he was feeling but Kara knew him, and those steel blue eyes told a story. He was angry, he was worried, and he was tired. He gave her a curt nod, and she slowly saw his demeanor shift, and his stiff posture melt as she approached the throne.

The throne was elevated on a platform, and it was made of the strongest metal found in Karnaca, and it was welded together to look like tree roots merging and entwining together at the bottom, and the head of the throne had branches with leaves bursting off the top. It represented Karnaca, and how it flourished because of the abundant ores and precious metals they mined, and the increased trade they had due to farmed goods that were grown in their bountiful pastures.

She climbed the three steps that led to her throne, and he dropped down into a kneeled bow before her, his head completely downcast. The argument they've been having for the past week had been weighing down on him, and he had flat out refused to talk to her for the last two days citing her ignorance and naivety as his reason. Whatever was happening personally for them, in public and especially in court, certain duties needed to performed, and they had to at least be civil to one another. 

The throne mocked her and reminded her of the burden she must bare for the good and prosperity of her people. The throne was never meant to be hers, but fate had intervened and changed her destiny, and now she sat on this throne, she gave out royal commands, she controlled their army, she was the benevolent and just leader to the people of Karnaca. But if someone offered to change positions, if someone offered her a chance to relinquish her power, her foothold on this world, she would in a heartbeat, alas she could never bring such dishonor to the House of El, she is their descendant and she would never taint her family name.

She turned around to face her people, and her handmaidens helped move the train of her teal gown around and when the last beat of the song ebbed into the room she sat on her throne and one by one all her subjects began to rise from their bowed positions, and he rose as well. Although, he faced the crowd instead of her.

“I, Kara Zor-El, am delighted that all of you were able to attend my Choosing Ceremony and celebrate my 22nd name-day at the Gala that will commence after this assembly is finished. I am sure that everyone is eager to hear who I will choose to be my betrothed, and I was humbled by all the lovely gifts and trinkets all my eligible suitors have presented me with. Normally, the Choosing Ceremony would be held by the parents of the next ruler, but after the unfortunate and untimely demise of my parents, Emperor Zor-El and Empress Alura Zor-El, the duty of choosing my own husband falls upon me. Before I say my decision, I would like a moment of silence for my parents, if it is not too much of a burden.”

She heard some whispers of responses from her subjects. ‘Of course your highness.’ ‘May they rest in peace.’ ‘They were great rulers.’ And so on.

Kara just held her head down to signal that the tribute and ‘moment of silence’ was beginning and a lull fell over the crowd, and they all followed suit.

Her parents, Emperor Zor-El and Alura Zor-El, were sweet and just rulers of Karnaca for thirty years before they perished in a horrible storm when they were traveling to their sister city across the sea. The people of Karnaca revered her parents, and considered them to be the greatest rulers that Karnaca had seen in over a century. Although Kara loved to hear the praise her parents often received, she worried that she could never live up to her parent’s achievements, and that she could never be a ruler like them. After their untimely death, the responsibility of the throne fell on her older sister Alex, but before her coronation, she ran away and was never seen again.

Then the responsibility fell on Kara, and the weight of the throne was heavier on her because she was the second, the spare – she was never taught how to rule because her sister was next in line, not her. On her twentieth name-day she was crowned Empress and her life before her coronation became a distant memory. She changed the way she talked, the way she walked, and the way she behaved. No longer did she have the freedom to walk around the castle halls, wander to the library, watch the shirtless soldier trains - no - she had meetings to attend, disputes to resolve, debate and cater to other rulers, and attend lesson to teach her how to negotiate and be a good political leader. 

Sometimes she felt like a whole new Kara, but when she would meet him, when she was near him, she felt like herself again – and the Empress façade was dropped. He was her home, and she constantly gravitated to him. He was her beacon, reminding her who she really is. 

But since her coronation, she dreaded when her twenty-second name-day would come and she have to decide on a betrothed. Her heart already belonged to another. She was the second, she was the spare – so fell for someone that an Empress could never be with, someone the Empress couldn’t marry. She had to marry someone who held power and a position in her kingdom.

“Thank you.”

The crowd was becoming restless, waiting for her to utter the name of her suitor so they could either celebrate her choice, or be spurned by it. She took a deep breath and eyed the back of his head, hoping that he would look at her before she gave her final verdict. To see his steel blue eyes one last time before she changed their lives forever. This is what they had been arguing about her the last week, her decision on the Choosing Ceremony. He hadn’t been happy, and she was too stubborn.

“I can see that everyone is eager to see who I will choose,” she heard some strained laughter, “and no one will be happy of my decision. As I said before, I adored all the gifts you presented me with, but my decision is final,” she elevated her voice and spoke firmly to ensure they would take her seriously, “I choose no one.”

The jovial crowd was replaced by baffled faces. They began to whisper amongst each other, trying to decipher the meaning of her words, but Kara had eyes on one person. She saw him tense up, and grip the handle of his sword in case the crowd became too riled up her declaration.

“I do not understand Empress. Choose no one? What does that mean? Are you postponing your decision,” Kara wasn’t shocked that it was Lilian Luthor that spoke up. She had been forcibly trying to impose her son Alexander, or Lex, on her for the past year. Whenever Kara invited Lena, her dear childhood friend, to the castle Lex would always accompany her. If Kara had to pick a suitor, Lex Luthor would be the last person on the list – the leery man didn’t deserve anyone.

“Lilian,” she said with a bite, “My declaration was explanatory. I am choosing no one as my betrothed. I do not intend to marry – I do not intend to have husband. I will not be choosing a partner now, or ever in the future.”

“I must protest Empress. Who will carry the El line forward? ” Lilian spoke with faux concern. It was no secret that the Luthor’s wished to usurp her throne, or at least have Luthor blood sit on it.

“I do not need to be married to produce an heir Lilian,” her voice low and hostile.

“It will be a tainted child of unknown blo –“

“You dare insult the royal blood of the House of El, Lilian Luthor,” her voice boomed across the throne room, she was seething in anger. The audacity of this vile woman to insult not only her blood but the blood of the man she loved, “Regardless of his father Lilian, the baby will have the Blood of El running through its veins. And do you think me a fool, an idiot to have a babe with any man. If you insult any future child of my mine with these misguided notions I will ensure your family is inflicted with the greatest of punishments. I have no desire to marry, and a child can still born outside of marriage – or do I need to remind you of how Lena Luthor is a child born of an affair of your husband Lilian,” she rose from her throne and the crowd slowly began to cower and look away from her in fear that she would attack them next.

“I will not tolerate this insubordination, and slander against my family, and my blood. The child will be raised the House of El standards, and will be treated with respect,” she hissed and scanned her eyes across the crowd to see if anyone else dared to cross her. It was test, and it seemed that even Lilian Luthor was passing – as she took a step back and hid behind another family, “you are all dismissed.”

She sat back on her seat and watched everyone hastily try to shuffle out of the throne room, no longer wishing to be in the presence of the scorned Empress.

Kara knew that they were all scared to talk back, and voice their opinions on her decision. Lilian Luthor was just a rare anomaly. She was certain that in the coming months, all the Great houses of Karnaca would come to her home and try to reason with her decision, to persuade her out of it, and hope that she would choose their son instead. She sighed, and her body molded into the throne. She watched the last of her noble subjects leave the room. He turned and bowed to her before he disappeared into the mess of the crowd as well.

She dealt with one problem, but she had yet to fix what happened between them.

******************

She threw the door open to her bedroom open and felt the weight of the world lift off her shoulders. She retired early from her name-day ball. The gala was still in full-swing in the hall, but Kara did not wish to part of it more than necessary. It was too tiring to politely dance with every individual that offered, and when Lex Luthor asked for a dance, she felt her blood boil and wished to attack him with venomous words, but she swallowed her pride and waltzed across the ballroom with him for a few minutes before excusing herself from the gala.

She needed to wash the stench of Luthor off her skin. A few handmaidens entered her room, and began to undress her from her gown. They drew her a bath, and Kara happily let them wash and rub her skin clean. She changed into some stain underclothes and dismissed her handmaidens for the evening. Kara approached the lone candle that was placed before her floor to ceiling window. She picked at the melted wax and bit her the inside of her lip, contemplating whether she should light the candle, and give the signal. She didn’t want to be rejected tonight, but she didn’t want to be alone either. She lit the candle, and moved to sit back on her expansive bed as she waited for a string of knocks on her door to let her know that the signal had worked.

Times passed on, and candle was beginning to wane, and her ears growing more desperate and impatient to hear the sound of knocks. She had been watching the fire blaze on top of the wick, and the smoke dance across the air, and the wax slowly drip down into a puddle, and she felt like she was nearing insanity. It would be better if she just went to sleep, rather than wait for the knocks – the signal didn’t work.

The candle needed to be extinguished, just like her desires for tonight. She placed her hand above the flame, ready to dowse the fire when she heard a soft knock. She clutched her underclothes, and hoped it wasn’t a dream, but the knocks came again and were louder and reverberated through her room letting her know that this was indeed reality, and not a fantasy. Happiness bubbled in her, and she felt her stomach knot together in excitement.

She threw the door open in a fury, and was greeted with a disheveled figure. No longer was he wearing his breast-plate, helmet or cape – rather he was in his tunic and coat, “Mon-El,” she breathed.

She hastily pulled him into her room, and closed her door before prying eyes could see them. She was beaming a huge smile, while he still had the stoic look on his face, “you came.”

“You lit the signal,” he spoke solemnly, “of course I came.”

Kara rolled her eyes, “I’ve been lighting the candle for the past two days and you still didn’t come. I was shocked that you came tonight.”

“I missed you,” he whispered. He took one big stride and he was right in front her, and he cupped her cheek, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you as well,” she leaned into his palm, “if only you weren’t stubborn –“

He snapped his hand back, and Kara was jostled by his quick actions.

“I’m stubborn! You’re the stubborn one Kara!”

“You had to ruin the moment, didn’t you? Please, I don’t want to have this fight again,” she clutched his white tunic and reeled him into her, her voice dropped to a murmur, “please. I don’t want to fight,” she pleaded.

“Kara you don’t understand. The decision you made today, it wasn’t a good choice! You should have just picked someone to marry. It would have been a lot easier!”

“Just picked someone to marry! How dare you? I love you Mon-El. Gods, I can’t even think about anyone else, and you want me to just marry some nobleman and have an affair on the side with you? Is that want you want?”

“Kara –“

“NO! I am not just marrying some random person because of political reasons, or because his family gave me the best gift. If I can’t marry you, I am not marrying anyone! You should be happy that I am not marrying anyone. That I am still picking you!”

“Of course I want you to pick me. For the love of the Gods, I love you Kara. To my dying breathe I will love you,” he gripped her hand and placed it over his hand, “But I also want to protect you, I can't be selfish. I am the Royal Protector, I am your Royal Protector and I need to protect you. And after that decision, all the houses are going to be scheming and trying to ally themselves to try to take your power for themselves. Deciding not to marry anyone showed a weakness and the more conniving houses are going to try to take advantage of this situation. The Luthors being the number one suspects –“

“Forget about the Luthors,” Kara had enough of this talk. She hadn’t been physically near him for the last two days, and for the past week they had been fighting. She just needed him right now, “There are more important things, more pleasant things we could be doing than talking about the problems of tomorrow,” she trailed her finger across his chest, unraveling the ties of his tunic. She leaned and kissed his neck, and slowly drew a path towards his ears, “right Mon-El,” she whispered in his ear.

“Kara,” he moaned, “We need to talk about. I need to increase the number of guards that protect you. And make sure that they rotated frequently,” Kara nodded into his neck while she grabbed his glutes and roughly shoved his groin to her pelvis. He groaned at the new contact and his voice began to waver, “Need to tell... Winn to increase… increase the spies especially at the Luthor’s estate…”

“Mon-El, don’t worry,” she removed her lips from his neck, pausing her onslaught, “it’s going to be fine.”

Kara understood were all the doubt, and apprehension stemmed from. She wasn’t a hundred percent sure on her decision to abstain from marriage until she uttered those words before her noble subjects. Although she knew the target on her back just became bigger, she felt like a free bird, and she wasn’t going to trade her freedom away. The backlash was going to cruel, but she would withstand the storm if he was by her side. But then again, she wasn’t the one who needed to consoled, it was him. She needed to calm his nerves, and placate him – even if was going to be temporary.

“All of this marriage and wedding problems will be behind us once I am with child. Then the kingdom will be too focused on the babe, and their next ruler to worry about marriages and alliances,” she tried to diffuse the tension by saying a playful joke. But looking into his eyes, she saw the joke backfire. The steel blue eyes stormed up, and a grave expression was etched on his face.

“Would I be the father?” he spoke so quietly that Kara almost missed his question. Her heart ached, he still didn’t think he was good enough for her. Even when she was the second, the spare – he saw himself as beneath her and it took some very skillful seduction from Kara for him to finally admit his feelings towards her. Her upgrade to Empress didn’t help his self-worth. Kara had a sneaking suspicious that he wanted her to marry someone else so she could finally be with someone who was her equal.

She rested her forehead against his, “Of course the father would be you, you giant oaf! It’s always going to be you Mon-El. always…and forever.”

He gave off a boisterous laugh, relieved that she would pick him to father her children, and mentally slapping himself for doubting Kara, “I love you Kara Zor-El.”

“And I love you Mon-El.”

She pulled him down for a searing kiss, and hoped they could put aside the troubles of tomorrow and enjoy the night in each’s other arms.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys like it! As always -- please ignore mistakes and an edited one will be posted later :))
> 
> Did anyone guess the the universe I borrowed elements from??
> 
> Also, I have a strong urge to make this into a series lol, I write too much background and get a little too invested in the characters -- i dont think one shots are my thing haha.


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